Gas or petroleum engine.



No. 65|,237. Patentedrl'une 5,1900 4: H. CBOUAN.

GAS UR PETROLEUM ENGINE.

' (Application 1115;: Jan. 3, 1898.) (No'MqdeL) 3 Shets-$heat I;

m: norms PETERS cc PHcm-umo, WASnmC-h. u n

"0,651,237. Batented; June 5, I900.

H. cnouAu. GAS 0B PETROLEUM ENGINE.

(Application-filed Jan. 8, 1899.)

3 Shasta-Sheet 2.

(N0 Modal.)

No. 65,237. P atented 1...... 5,1900. H. CROUAN.

GAS 0R PETROLEUM ENGINE.

(Application fild Jan. 3,1899.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

up: Nowms ravens co. PHOTO-LITHO, WASHINGTON,

NrTEo STATES PATENT .nrrcs.

GAS OR PETROLEUM ENGINE.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,237, dated June 5, 1900.

Application filed January 3, 1899, Serial No. 701,028- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY ORoUAN, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at Olichy, department of Seine, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvem cuts in Gas or Petroleum Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to gas and. petroleum engines; and the object thereof consists of increasing the power of such engines without increasing their weight, so as to have a maximum of power with a minimum of weight.

My improvements may be advantageously applied to two-cylinder motors whether the cylinders of these motors are opposite to one another on each side of the central drum or arranged in any other manner provided that the pistons be pivoted to the crank, so that the two pistons of the engine compress or release the gases inclosed in the drum at the same time. Furthermore, the explosions in each cylinder must be effected alternately and not simultaneouslythat is, when one of the cylinders is at the suction period the other cylinder must be at the explosion period.

I attain the aforest-ated object of myinvention by the arrangement and combination of parts more clearly pointed out and claimed hereinafter and illustrated by Way of examplein the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isa side elevation of the improved engine. Fig. 2 is a similar view, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a plan view.

In the drawings like letters refer to like parts throughout the figures.

Referring by letters to the drawings, A

represents a drum, within which operate the crank-arms of the main shaft. S indicates the Valve through which the explosive mixture enters said drum. 0 and O are the cylinders of the engine, and A and A the gas-inlet valves therefor.

The parts of my engine operate as in ordinary four-cycle motors-that is to say, the first half-revolution of the drive-shaft pro duces a suction of the explosive mixture, the second half-revolution compresses the mixture, the third half-revolution produces the explosion, and the fourth half -revolution serves to exhaust the spent products of comof one only, and in this case the air and gas.

are separately introduced into the drum A through said valves S, respectively. Two

pipes T and T lead from the drum A and connect the same with the cylinders O and 0 respectively, through the intermediary of two inlet-valves A and A respectively, provided on cylinders Gand G Said cylinders are furthermore connected with drums A at their inner ends, which are open for the purpose hereinafter described.

The pistons, the connecting-rods,the crankarms, and the other usual parts may be constructed in any suitable well-known manner, and I therefore do not further describe said parts. 1

The pistons in both cylinders are arranged to move to and away from the central drum at the same time, thereby sucking into the latter through the valve S a volume of explosive mixture equal to the volume of said two cylinders. In moving toward each other the pistons have a tendency to force the double charge through the openings S or S The igniting device and other appliances, which do not form apart of my invention, are omitted for clearness of the drawings.

(Not shown in the drawings.) If.

The engine operates as follows: The piston is, for instance, at the end of its stroke in cylinder O and during the first'half-revolution it moves forward to suck a charge of mixture through thepipe T and the Valve A At the same time the two pistons move toward each other to compress the double charge sucked into the central drum during the time that they moved away from each other. Said v charge can only escape through the openings and pipes S S and '1" T respectively. WVhile the mixture is being exploded in cylinder 0 the cylinder (3 will be sucking in mixture. It results, therefore, that the pressure increases within cylinder 0, whereby valve A is prevented from being opened, and the whole charge must enter the cylinder 0 wherein it is sucked at the same time as the pistons compress the same. At the end of this first halfrevolntion the charge passes into cylinder 0 During the second half-revolution the two pistons move away from each other and the double charge passed into cylinder 0 will be compressed. At the same time the two pistons suck a fresh double charge into the cylinder C, which at this moment permits the burned gases to escape. During the third half-revolution the compressed mixture in cylinder 0 is ignited and the explosion thereof produced. At the same time the two pistons compress the double charge sucked in during the aforegoing period and force the same through valve A and pipe T into the cylinder (3, which is at the suction period, valve A being closed by the pressure produced by the explosion within the cylinder 0 During the fourth half-revolution the escape-valve E of cylinder 0 is opened and the burned gases escape under the action of the piston, said cylinder being emptied to receive a fresh double charge at the next halfrevolution. Within the cylinder 0 the piston compresses the double charge introduced at the aforegoing half-revolution and which will be ignited at the next half-revolution. The same cycle is now repeated. The alternate opening of the escape-valves E E is obtained by means of a hollow rod '1" T guided on the stems Q Q of said valves and carrying the same away from their seating by pressing against the enlarged parts of said valve-stems. Said rod T T is actuated by means of a fork F, pivoted at 0 and connected with a link I), actuated by a gear-wheel R, meshing with a toothed pinion P, having half as many teeth as said wheel R and mounted on the motor-shaft of the engine.

It will be seen that the escape-valve of each cylinder is opened but once each two revolutionsthat is, during the fourth halfrevolution, as already indicated.

The central drum may be provided with two valves S and S, serving to prevent the gas from flowing back into said drum should the suction-valves A or A not perfectly 0perate; but said Valves may be omitted without inconvenience.

The volume of the gas alternately sucked and forced into each cylinder being larger than the volume of one cylinder, it is evident that when said gas is about to be compressed the pressure in the respective cylinder will be higher than atmospheric pressure, whereby a higher compression of the explosive mixture and therefore a stronger explosion of said mixture are obtained, and consequently the engine will produce a much higher power than other engines.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown the pipes T and T provided with valves S and S respectively, said valves being arranged on druinA and intended to prevent the gas from returninginto said drum should the valves A and A not operate momentarily for any reason whatever.

Other modifications may be made in the construction of the various parts of my improved engine without departing from the scope of my invention, and I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise arrangement and construction of the parts as shown in the accompanying drawings so long as the peculiar features of my invention be retained.

I-Iaving described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a gas-engine, the combination of a central drum, two cylinders secured thereto in line with each other and communicating with the interior of the drum, a shaft extending through the drum, pistons in the cylinders, connections between the pistons and the shaft, all arranged whereby the pistons can move simultaneously toward each other, and simultaneously away from each other, a valve carried by the drum and controlling the admission of explosive mixture thereto, pipes T and T leading from the drum to the cylinders, valves A A carried by the cylinders respectively, and valves S S provided in the pipes T T HENRY CROUAN. WVitnesses:

CAMIILLE ROLLAND, A1). STURM. 

